*********************
Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, in the Legislative Council today (June 25):
Question:
To prepare for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Lima, Peru in December this year, representatives from many countries commenced the United Nations climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany early this month. It has been reported that the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, whose greenhouse gas emissions are the second highest in the world, has proposed the Clean Power Plan aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent nationwide from the 2005 levels by 2030. China's representatives have also undertaken that China will make active contributions to advancing the negotiations. For instance, China is considering setting a target of the cap on the greenhouse gas emissions for the first time in 2016, and including this target in the next five-year plan which will commence in 2016. This initiative is different from the past practice of setting the carbon intensity targets according to the gross domestic products. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has looked into and grasped the latest policy direction of the mainland authorities for setting a cap on greenhouse gas emissions; whether it has assessed the impact of the aforesaid new initiative adopted by the mainland authorities on Hong Kong's control of greenhouse gas emissions; and
(2) given that Hong Kong currently follows the mainland authorities' practice of setting the carbon intensity target in formulating its emission reduction target (i.e. to reduce carbon intensity by 50 per cent to 60 per cent by 2020 from the 2005 level), whether the Government will follow the mainland authorities' new initiative and formulate emission reduction targets by setting a cap on the total greenhouse gas emissions; if it will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to the questions raised by the Hon Frederick Fung is as follows:
(1) and (2) We have been keeping in contact with the National Development and Reform Commission to understand the development in national initiatives on combating climate change. Contacts were effected through mutual visits, attending climate change conferences of the United Nations as member of the China delegation, attending working meetings on preparation of the Hong Kong Chapter of the National Communication on Climate Change report for submission to the United Nations by the Central People's Government, etc. According to our understanding, China will continue the endeavour to achieve the carbon intensity reduction target announced in 2009, i.e. to reduce energy-related carbon dioxide emissions produced per unit of national income by 40 per cent to 45 per cent by 2020 as compared with the 2005 level.
The HKSAR Government attaches importance on work on combating climate change. We completed the public consultation on Hong Kong's Climate Change Strategy and Action Agenda in end 2010, and submitted the consultation report to the LegCo's Panel on Environmental Affairs on April 28 this year which also reported on progress of measures in the action agenda to achieve the carbon intensity reduction target of 50 per cent to 60 per cent by 2020 as compared with the 2005 level. We will continue to implement measures set out in the climate change strategy and action agenda, and take actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a focus on the major local emission sources in order to achieve the 2020 carbon intensity reduction target.
Ends/Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:05
NNNN
